Kuntzendorf’s homer sends Eagles past Montini

Updated: May 5, 2011 8:57PM

“Look fastball, then adjust,” Aurora Christian’s Bobby Kuntzendorf hollered to teammate Kenny McCracken with two strikes as Montini Catholic reliever Ben Dobosenski was about to start his windup.

The tip didn’t help, as the Eagles’ third baseman went down swinging.

Moments later, Kuntzendorf was giving himself the same advice.

Two strikes, bottom of the seventh, tie game — and he got fastball. The junior turned on Dobosenski’s offering and put it over the right field fence for a walk-off home run, capping two separate four-run rallies for the Eagles in a 9-8 win at Stuart Sports Complex.

“I was looking for a fastball inside and I got it,” Kuntzendorf said. “We had lost two tough games in a row and we were so hungry to come out and get this win. We all just had great emotion, great energy all game, and we’re all real happy to get this win.”

Montini took a 4-0 lead off Eagles starter Brent Minta in the top of the first inning, only to have the Eagles tie it in the bottom half thanks in part to a two-run home run by Mitch Holtz.

The Broncos (14-8, 6-7) continued to hit around Minta for the next three innings, sending 18 men to the plate and loading the bases twice. Despite all the baserunners, Minta allowed just four more runs and the Eagles trailed 8-4 heading into the bottom of the fourth feeling they were still in it on a day where the wind was briskly blowing out.

“He just battled,” Aurora Christian coach Andy Zorger said of Minta, who escaped both bases-loaded situations with just one run allowed. “They hit the ball but we started making plays and he stayed in it. We knew with this day and our offense we’d be in it, and it turns out we were. After that first inning and having guys on in every other inning, to go five and keep us in it was huge.”

The second Aurora Christian (18-6, 9-4) rally began in the bottom of the fourth off Broncos starter Anthony Reaber on a run-scoring double by Jake Hanson (2-for-4) and a run -coring single by Josh Haugen (2 runs scored).

Reaber remained in the game in the fifth and allowed a solo shot to McCracken to cut the Broncos lead to 8-7.

Dobosenski was brought on in the sixth and was on the verge of getting out of the inning until shortstop Mike Davis botched a routine grounder by Haugen. That brought up Holtz, who singled sharply to center where Chris Lentine misplayed the ball and it rolled to the fence, scoring Haugen and tying the game.

It was the fifth error of the game for Montini, allowing for four unearned runs.

“You’re not going to be a good team when you give (another) team that many opportunities,” Broncos coach Bill Leeburg said. “And they hit the ball. Both teams hit the ball today.”

Kuntzendorf also picked up his sixth win of the season in relief, as he struck out all six batters he faced in two innings of work on a scheduled throwing day between starts. He struck out 17 in a complete game, two-hit win over Wheaton Academy on Monday.

“He only threw 81 pitches Monday so we figured he could close today,” Zorger said. “And it worked out perfectly.”

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